


My Collection of Keepsakes.

by OnyourRadar



Category: SKAM (France)
Genre: AU, Eliott is super nice and Lucas doesn't know how to be a human for a bit, M/M, Miscommunication, Oneshot, Slice o Life, Weird OneShot., no idea where this idea came from
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-09
Updated: 2019-06-09
Packaged: 2020-04-23 17:08:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,196
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19155373
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OnyourRadar/pseuds/OnyourRadar
Summary: Because how does one have a conversation with a stranger just to explain that he is not in fact homeless. That he has a job. And an apartment.--or--Eliott, a kind stranger, mistakes Lucas' lack of warm clothing in January for him being unable to afford warmth. So he starts to give Lucas what he needs. He helps Lucas build a collection.





	My Collection of Keepsakes.

Lucas couldn’t pinpoint the exact reason it happened at first, but he does remember the moment it starts. At the start of the new year. Back at the beginning of January. It was a particularly cold day and Lucas being Lucas, could not forgo grabbing lunch at his favorite cafe even though he knew it was cold out. Even though he knew the line would wrap around the block because it was that popular. 

It was one of those places, hopping during lunch hour. A scratch kitchen that only used the ingredients that they had on hand and if the kitchen ran out then it would close for the day. 

Lucas tried it one day on a whim, and was so in love with their flavor he would do his best to grab lunch from there at least once a week on his meager paycheck. Because the great thing about this place was that it was _affordable._

He couldn't ask for anything better. But that day in January, Lucas woke up late. The night before he stayed up way too late drinking with Mika and Manon. It was a Saturday and he didn’t have work and he didn’t have class. By the time he got there the line was ridiculous. 

In all his rush, he had forgotten his hat and his scarf. His cheeks were flushed from the biting wind and he tried his best to keep his fingers warm in the sleeves of his worn out sweater. Lucas was not normally that negligent when it came to keeping warm. He bundles up to the nines most summer days because he is constantly cold. Maybe he was functioning in a drunken haze. He is still not sure he has the answer. Either way. He was cold. And the line was moving very slow. He only hoped that they would be open by the time he reaches the door. 

No such luck. It was 25 minutes of standing with the frosty air blowing, when he heard the groans from the few people left in line before they disperse. He walks up to the door and the sign is a measly apology that doesn’t make up for the fact that Lucas was cold, grumpy, and still very much hungry. 

He decided to take a moment, leaning on the wall of the building and looking up at the grey skies. Lucas thought it was cold enough to snow that day. He acutely remembers that there were some flurries as a matter of fact. 

He brought his hands to his mouth and blew into them. Warming them slightly. He’d taken to looking back down at the sidewalk. He couldn’t shake the feeling of disappointment. Maybe he would wake earlier and be first in line the next day. One hand rummaged through his pant pockets and found the crinkled dollars and change he planned on using to buy lunch with. He wonders where he should go now for food. He shoved the money back into his pocket. His fingers played with the holes on his sleeves. He thought it was about time he got a new sweater. 

Of course that was when it happened. 

Something black was shoved under his nose. So lost in thought was he, that he didn’t notice that someone had approached him. His head reeled back slightly and he panicked for a second. 

When he looked up, his eyes refocused and he was able to make out what was shoved in his face. A pair of oversized black gloves. He followed the offering, traced the fingers that held the gloves all the way to the arm that was clothed in a warm looking coat and up at the kind face of a handsome stranger. Lucas was in awe that day and he lost the ability to form words. 

“Here, it’s cold out.” Those were the only words that the stranger spoke to him. His voice warm and soothing in comparison to the howling wind that pushed the flurries to dance in the air around them. 

Lucas couldn’t fathom why he reached for the gloves, that he knew wouldn’t fit him, but he did. He took them without saying anything. He did nod his head and look away from the intense stare. That was the extent of their interaction. 

On that day, at least. When the stranger left, left Lucas with a kind smile, Lucas clutched the gloves and on his walk back to the apartment he tried his hardest to figure out why the stranger gave him gloves of all things. He placed the gloves on his nightstand. He tried not to overthink it. The gloves laid forgotten for a while. 

Two weeks later, standing outside the closed cafe, because he missed it again--he was so sure he would make it too-- but he was wrong. Lucas lets a long disappointed sigh. Lucas has on a coat, but it’s Mika’s and it’s over sized and a bright yellow. He grabbed it in his urgency to get there in time. The yellow jacket was more of a windbreaker and did little to protect him from the wind. 

But his stranger came to the rescue. That second time, Lucas saw him approach. He walked down the street his gaze locked on the sidewalk in front of him. When he got close enough, the handsome stranger took pause and locked eyes with Lucas. The heated gaze made Lucas shiver slightly. 

Lucas saw how his mystery man started to unwrap the warm looking scarf around his neck. It’s thick and grey. When he reached Lucas that easy smile is back on his face and Lucas still silent, uses his eyes to trace the beautiful tight jawline, he read kindness in those deep blue eyes. The hand offered Lucas the scarf. 

Without a word, again, Lucas simple tilted his head and took the scarf. He puts it around his neck and the musky wood scent filled his nostrils. 

He couldn’t erase the scent for days afterwards. But when he got back to his apartment, long after the stranger left, Lucas placed the scarf right next to the gloves. 

The third time, it was raining. It was mid February and Lucas had finished his sandwich. When he stepped out of the small cafe he immediately looked up at the chilling storm clouds. He made it a couple of feet before the clouds broke and the rain poured down. Lucas was drenched in a matter of seconds. He barely made it as he splashed his way down the street to an awning. Lucas huddled and curled in on himself. He could only imagine what he looked like, drenched and shivering. He had on a zip up hoodie over his white shirt which stuck to his thin frame. He was chilled to the bone. 

A shadow overtook the daylight and Lucas saw the black umbrella that hung over him. “Here. Take this.” 

That time, Lucas tried to shake his head, teeth chattering from being cold. But his mystery man was insistent that he took the umbrella. 

“What about you?” He hated how his voice shook. He could imagine his lips a pale lavender at that point.

The stranger, ran a hand through the then dry hair, a nest of perfect chestnut locks that was naturally tousled. “You need it more than I do.” 

When Lucas had a firm grip on the handle, his strange started to run. 

“Wait!” Lucas chose that moment in the pouring rain to shout at the man, who, despite the cold water quickly drenching him, stopped and turned towards Lucas. 

“What’s your name?”

“Eliott.” He shouted back. 

_Eliott_. “Thanks!” Eliott simply nodded his head and made a run for it. 

And so Lucas continued to build this odd collection of his. From Eliott. Everything that Eliott gave him, he stashed in his room. Soon, Lucas found that he would purposefully forget something each time he left the apartment. 

A hat when it was cold. 

Earmuffs, even though he _never_ wore earmuffs. 

Another scarf. Because why not. 

A jacket. A beautiful tan jacket that still holds the warmth of the other boy. The one that he shook his head rapidly against taking but his stranger wouldn’t take no for an answer. Eliott kept saying, “You need this more than I do.”

And Lucas finds himself, more often than not, curled on his bed counting stitches. His fingers play with the garments, thinking up stories of their owner. He seeks comfort in the slightly worn materials that are soft to the touch. 

Lucas wasn’t sure what he was going to do when the weather got warmer. Pretty soon he would leave his apartment without a shirt or pants just to see if Eliott would give him those off his back as well. So he can add to his collection. 

And what a collection it was. He cherished everything he received. It was strange but when he feels down, Lucas would curl in bed wrapped up in Eliott’s scarf. At night, if it was cold enough he wore the gloves that were indeed to big for him. 

When Mika finally sees his pile of keepsakes, the brunette corners Lucas until he reveals where it was coming from. 

“None of this looks like it would fit you.” 

_Because look at that beanie, it falls over your eyes. And those gloves?...There’s got to be an extra two inches of wiggle room for your fingers._

Lucas explains how he is just as confused, not sure why Eliott, who didn’t know him beyond their minor interactions, kept giving him clothing on the streets. When Lucas looks at Mika’s face scrunched up in thought, he begins to feel a little weary. 

“Lucas have you thought...maybe he thinks you’re homeless?” 

Lucas’ brows make an immediate dive. “No. Not possible what would make him think that?” 

Lucas thinks back to all those times before. You need this more than I do. 

His eyes go wide in realization. “Oh my god, what if you're right? What if he does?"

“Well you didn’t exactly help your cause, Lucas…you just took what he gave without question.”

_You don’t think that’s weird?_

Eliott thinking Lucas was homeless made all the sense in the world. A blush colors Lucas's face at the thought of seeing the other boy again. How could he possibly face him. 

“Don’t overthink it, kitten. Just clear it up when you see him again. Maybe invite him for lunch and say you’ll pay or something. Or maybe he really is just being nice?” Mika talked Lucas down from his panic. 

Now, Lucas makes his way out of the apartment, he spends all morning examining himself in the mirror and making sure he wasn’t scrubbed out. His blue jeans hug his shapely legs, his white shirt--because Lucas looked at the forecast and the rain had already passed-- was loose and covered with a puff jacket that will hopefully cover him from the cold. 

Lucas puts on the large grey scarf. Maybe if he sees Eliott he can give it back. Lucas doesn’t really want to think about parting with it. The thought leaves a bad taste in his mouth. 

Lucas walks to the cafe, the unspoken meeting place, he knew it would be closed because its close to 2 and the cafe never stayed open past 1:30. Despite knowing this, Lucas looks through the glass, his hand blocking out the sun so he can see inside the darkened store front. He huffs and pats at his empty belly. 

Maybe he should rely on alarm clocks instead of his luck or lack thereof. But he turns and waits by the door regardless. He doesn’t know if he would see Eliott today but he is hopeful. 

It takes 15 minutes but he stands alert when he sees that familiar head of hair, the casual stride of his boy making his way towards Lucas, a smile already locked into place. 

Lucas had a speech prepared. He was going to tell him how he works at that small bookstore down at the corner of Prince and Manning. He makes money. He shares an apartment with two other people and sure, sometimes he is late on rent, but Lucas makes due. Lucas wants to let Eliott know that he owns at least 12 different scarves, decked out in different colors and patterns. That he hates earmuffs because it muffles far too much and does not keep him warm. He doesn’t wear gloves because they make his palms sweat. And he would tell Eliott all this while unwrapping the scarf around his neck. He’d throw the scarf over the broad shoulders of the other boy, use it as leverage to pull him down for a kiss and then ask him out for lunch. 

Lucas does none of this. His mouth is sewn shut as Eliott stops in front of him. His blue eyes linger on the grey scarf Lucas is hiding his face in. Neither speak for a second before Eliott nods his head at the other and makes to leave. 

Without thinking Lucas grabs at the other boy by the arm before he makes it too far. He is struck by the thought that if he doesn’t speak now, that if he doesn’t clear things up, Lucas will be playing the part of a homeless boy for the rest of his life and the extent of his relationship will be him taking things from the other boy when it is offered. 

“I-I’m Lucas…I’m hungry.” Lucas wants to physically slap himself. If there was anything he could do to solidify the idea that he was homeless anymore all he would have to do is pull out the crinkled bills in his pocket and show them to Eliott. He is glad he decides not to do that and instead through his blushing, Lucas corrects himself. “T-that’s not what I meant.” 

Lucas thinks he might just die under the calculating look of the other. “I m-mean...would you like to grab lunch with me.” His voice trails off because all Eliott has done is look at him then look down at were Lucas’ hands gripped at his arm. “I can pay.”

The lines around Eliott’s eyes soften, a small smile lifts his lips. “Sure, but only if I pay.” 

Lucas wants to object. He wants to scream out to the other that he only struggles a little when it comes to adulting. But rather than using his voice, clearing things, Lucas simple nods. He figures he can surprise Eliott when the check comes. 

They head towards a bistro, not to far from his scratch kitchen. He orders a sandwich, Eliott grabs a croissant. Even Lucas in all his glory, falls victim to the awkward silence. They sit staring at each other, waiting for Lucas’ food to come. Thankful for the scarf Lucas hides his face in it. When Lucas hears the other chuckle, he looks up through his lashes at the other. 

“What?” Eliott shakes his head, smile still on his face. The taller boy rips small pieces off of his croissant and eats it slowly.

“Is it any good?” Lucas asks. He makes small talk because the quiet is debilitating. When Eliott holds out a piece of the pastry, Lucas grabs for it. He moves slowly fearing that if he was his usual self, he might just startle Eliott into leaving. 

He plops the piece in his mouth, chews thoughtfully for a second before making a face. “It’s dry.”

“Are you an expert on croissants or something?” As a matter of fact he was. 

“I’ve eaten plenty to know what’s good and what’s not” Lucas says with a smile. He shrugs at the raised eyebrows. 

“Is that what your diet consists of? You look like you barely eat.” 

Sure Lucas was naturally thin, his collar bones protrude, his wrists are thin, he doesn’t retain any weight even though he eats more than his friends combined. Maybe this is partially what paints the picture of “homeless” in Eliott’s eyes.

_Now or never_ , Lucas thought. “Yeah… I eat a lot. My friends tell me it’s going to all catch up to me when I get older and my metabolism stops working right. Listen…” Lucas sucks in a breath for support. “I know you think I’m homeless…I’m not”

Eliott doesn’t say anything but his eyes narrow at Lucas. 

“I have a job, I have an apartment that I share with others too, and, and I eat on a normal basis. Probably more than I should actually, but you know how it is, growing boy and all that, please say something.” Lucas can’t bring himself to look at the other so he looks everywhere else. His eyes darted to the other customers, to the torn up croissants, to his cup of water, and he thinks where the hell is the waiter with his food. 

Lucas wants something to happen so he doesn’t need to sit across from Eliott because he feels like a fool. He makes a move to stand up and leave but the hand on his wrist stops him. 

When Lucas looks at Eliott, there is a frown that breaks up his beautiful face.

“No stay, please...I-I don’t know what to say.” Eliott gestures to the scarf that hang around Lucas’ neck. Lucas makes a move to take it off and hand it to Eliott. He swallows hard at the fact that he would be parting with it. 

“Sorry. Sorry, I didn’t help my case. You were so kind because you thought I needed all of this but...I didn’t. I didn’t know how to tell you.” Because how do you go about having a conversation with someone just to tell them you aren’t actually homeless. 

When Eliott moves to take the scarf, Lucas forgets to let go and there is a tug. His eyes go wide and he tries to tell his fingers to stop, to listen to his brain, but they don’t. When Eliott laughs, a whole bodied laugh that has his shoulders shaking, Lucas is at a loss of what to do. Eliott pushes the scarf back at Lucas. 

“Keep it, it looks better on you.” 

The taller of the two and runs a hand down his face. Eliott settles into his seat, bracing himself on the table, elbows resting and holding his chin. 

“So…” Lucas fidgets, his thumbs twirl and when the waiter finally stops by with his sandwich he smiles his thanks. 

“You know, that was my favorite jacket.” Eliott is smiling as he speaks, his blue eyes shining with humor. 

“Ah… maybe there is something I could do.” Lucas smiles back at the boy. “I have a little collection of gifts I got from a stranger, sitting on my bed. Maybe we can find you a replacement.” 

Eliott cocks an eyebrow at that. His smile never leaves. When Lucas bites into his sandwich, the lettuce spilling over, he laughs at himself. He thinks, maybe this was the best way to clear up a miscommunication. To laugh through it all. 

“So are you paying for lunch?” 

Eliott laughs.

**Author's Note:**

> When my days are shitty, I write and I don't think about what I write. I have no idea where this idea came from. It wasn't even one of my planned one-shots. It's silly and makes little sense. Tell me what you think. Please and thank you. 
> 
> Chapter of _Stacking Thoughts, White Picket Fence, and My Heart Goes Out to You,_ is in the works. I don't know which one I will update first. Any suggestions?


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